Snow Wolf
by Tohdoh
Summary: Elsa's powers and emotions reach a breaking point. She suddenly turns into a wolf and kills the Weselton guards out of self-defense, prompting Hans to hunt down the terrified young queen. Can Anna save Elsa from her wolf form, while saving herself from a frozen fate?
1. Transformation

**This is still canon movieverse, but with a wolf twist. It's a "what-if" story, if you will.**

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><p><strong>Snow Wolf (1)<strong>  
><strong>Transformation<strong>

Elsa broke into a run, leaving Marshmallow to fend off the men.

"No harm must come to the queen!" she heard Hans shout.

She turned and saw that some ignored his command. Elsa fled into her palace, mixed fear and anger propelling her up the stairs.

Her anger was justified. These men chose to invade her new home. Even worse, they chose to mean serious harm. She struggled to stay calm and controlled, desperately hoping that Marshmallow would be enough to chase them away. But some of the men were quite persistent, and managed to break into her castle.

Two men cornered her in the highest room. She recognized them from her coronation. They were bodyguards for the Duke of Weselton. Eyes filled with grim and silent determination, they slowly advanced holding their crossbows.

Elsa put up her hands to show she meant no harm. "Please, stay away!"

Her desperate pleading went unheard. A guard fired his arrow at her. She threw her hands up to her face, summoning a sheet of ice to stop the arrow. She gasped as the tip stopped an inch from her face.

'Did the Duke send them to kill me?' she thought with horror.

"Stay away!" she said more forcefully. Again, they didn't listen.

Now it was her turn. In a few rapid and successive moves, Elsa had one guard pinned to the wall and the other on the verge of falling to his death.

She heard footsteps as Hans and the rest entered the room. She didn't relent with her ice. Anger swelled in her like bile in her throat. Why? Why did it have to be like this? Even when she hid herself away from Arendelle, why did they still come to attack her? She felt like a cornered animal, hated and feared for her powers.

'It's not fair!' she wanted to scream. 'I wanted nothing more than to protect everyone, and this is what I get?'

"Queen Elsa!" Hans cried. "Don't be the monster they fear you are!"

At this, she stopped. She felt so paralyzed and torn. What should she do? Seeing her hesitate, the guard pinned to the wall lifted his crossbow and fired. All the anger and terror pent up inside made Elsa snap. Time seemed to slow down. She only felt a rush of incredible energy, a huge change in both her mind and body. Pure instinct and adrenaline, not human reason, seemed to compel her as she turned her head and caught the arrow. With her jaws.

Hans couldn't believe his eyes. The men were equally aghast. They just witnessed Elsa _transform into a white wolf_.

Elsa growled as she easily snapped the arrow in two with her teeth. Seeing all the men cornering her, Elsa's snow-white fur bristled and her lips curled back into a snarl. Blind rage and fear engulfed her. A flurry of snow whipped around her wolf body. The guard she had almost pushed over the edge rushed forward to attack her. Elsa whirled around. Only two things raced in her mind: Fight. Live.

She lunged and sank her sharp teeth into his throat. Warm thick blood gushed forth, filling her mouth with its iron taste. The guard instantly died. Elsa let his body crumple to the floor. Blood pooled underneath it to form a grisly snowflake shape. With a savage snarl, she made for the second man pinned by her ice.

"No, please-!"

Her jaws at his head cut off his plea. His skull gave way in a sickening crunch. He emitted a choked gurgle and slumped against the ice wall. The crossbow slipped from his hand. Hans and the rest of the men stepped away in fear. Elsa's wild eyes fell on them. She bared her blood-stained teeth and stalked forward.

"Monster!" one of them cried. "The queen is a monster!"

Elsa suddenly lost her berserk rage. She took several steps back and blinked in confusion.

'What just happened...?'

Then she saw the blood. The dead guards from Weselton.

'No! This wasn't supposed to happen!'

Elsa tried to cry out in her defense, but it only came out as a strangled whine. Like a white arrow she streaked past the startled men and away from the palace. She ran as fast as she could, running as if she always had four paws. Thick snow didn't get in the way of her strong legs. She paid no heed to the wind clawing at her fur. Bitterness self-loathing filled her heart.

'What have I done? What have I _become_?'

A wolf couldn't shed tears. Elsa threw back her head and howled. 'I'm a traitor for abandoning Arendelle, and I'm a murderer for killing those men.'

Deep into the area where the mountainside met the forest, Elsa finally slowed to a stop. Terrible guilt gnawed at her wounded conscience. She didn't mean to kill those guards. She couldn't stop the animalistic drive to do whatever it took to survive. Whatever she felt, that still didn't take away the cold hard fact that she had killed them. Tasting human blood on her tongue nearly made her vomit. Never before had Elsa felt so disgusted and terrified of herself.

She found an icy stream up ahead. Elsa dipped her muzzle into the water to wash the blood away. It was all over her paws too; she brushed them roughly against the snow. She ruffled her fur dry, then she peered into the water with disbelief. A pair of piercing golden eyes stared back at her. Gone were her blue eyes and pale blond hair. Her fur was completely white, as if touched by newly fallen snow.

Elsa was so confused. 'How did I do this? Is this the form in which my powers are fully realized?' She hung her head in shame, staring at her white paws. 'I'm sorry, Father...now I understand why you keep me telling to conceal, don't feel. I've failed you. I couldn't conceal it.'

She felt a pit of despair in her gut. It was the same terrible feeling when she told Anna she didn't know how to stop the eternal winter. 'Just like the ice and snow I can't melt, there's no way I can turn back into a human. I can only make problems, not get rid of them.' She clenched her jaw. 'I'll never be free from this curse. Am I going to be a wolf forever?'

Elsa looked back to the mountain. 'Hans will return to Arendelle and tell the Duke. They'll take up arms and come after me with a vengeance.'

She ought to let them kill her for what she had done. But with a pang of guilt, she realized she wanted to live. She could simply disappear into the wilderness, living the rest of her days as a lone wolf and a forgotten queen.

Elsa broke into a loping run deeper into the frost-ridden forest, feeling like she could never go back to anything at all.

'I'm not even the Snow Queen anymore. Now I'm the Snow Wolf.'

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><p><strong>I welcome any commentsfeedback. They make me very happy. :D**


	2. Pack Encounter

**Snow Wolf (2)****  
><strong>**Pack Encounter**

Elsa wasn't used to being so close to the ground. She pawed through slopes of heavy snow, her legs beginning to ache. Her pawprints became long, trailing streaks as she started to drag her legs through the snow. Always taught by her parents to keep her back straight and stand tall, she felt anything but a queen now. She was an animal, spurred by fear and guided by instinct.

Elsa finally stopped under the lengthy shade of a pine tree. Her tongue lolled out as she panted, not caring how dog-like she looked as mist plumed from her gaping mouth.

She spent time alone in her ice palace, but this was a different kind of loneliness. 'So this is what it means to be a lone wolf,' she thought sadly. "I must be born for this kind of life.'

As the sun climbed higher in the stark winter sky and the day went on, Elsa started to get hungry. To her alarm, she craved fresh meat. She had hoped it wouldn't come to this. She licked her lips and felt saliva pool in her mouth.

'I need food. I need meat...' Then Elsa shut her eyes and shook her head. 'No, think straight,' she berated herself. 'I have to find Anna. I managed to chase her and that man away with Marshmallow. But knowing her, she'd come right back looking for me again. I hope she's somehow back in Arendelle. Anna needs to get off this mountain before the cold kills her.' Elsa looked down at herself, a deep frown etched on her muzzle. 'I wish I didn't have to be stuck in this form. But if no one's going to tell Anna, who will?'

Suddenly Elsa heard voices. Still shaken by her skirmish at the ice castle, she darted out of sight into some bushes. She crouched low on her haunches, ready for fight or flight.

Her senses betrayed her. She heard voices with her ears, but picked up wolf scent with her nose. Elsa couldn't wrap her head around it. She would have to see for herself. She peeked amid the gaps made by crisscrossing branches and leaves.

She blinked hard. A wolf pack slowly made its way up the slope thick with snow. And the wolves talked! Was she imagining things? She heard words loud and clear among their growls and snarls. She counted seven; from the sound of it they seemed to be all male, no females. They sounded aggressive and constantly on edge, as if there was no place for softness or gentleness in their hard lives.

"Picked up any scent yet?" a wolf asked irritably.

"No, nothing," another replied. "Just a lot of ice in my nose."

"Damn this winter," the wolf heading the pack growled. "It has driven the prey out of our reach."

One of them chuckled darkly. "If we get truly desperate...we might just have to eat each other."

"D-don't say that! It's not funny!" a wolf exclaimed in fear. Elsa heard it as a whine.

Her mind raced as she considered options. She figured that as a wolf, she could hear other wolves speak, too. Maybe if she talked to them, they could understand her. And if they tried to attack her, she could always defend herself. She preferred that as a last resort. Her self-defense back at the ice palace had not gone well at all. Making up her mind, Elsa emerged out of hiding.

"Excuse me?" she tentatively asked.

The wolves pricked their ears and whirled, startled by her sudden presence. Some of them curled their lips back, revealing sharp yellowed teeth. They bristled with alarm and wariness.

The biggest one puffed its chest and took a pawstep forward. "Where did you come from?" it growled. "Were you listening the whole time?"

'They understand me.' She was relieved. "I'm sorry to-"

"You have no scent." The leader craned its neck forward to sniff the air. "That's strange...no wonder we didn't know you were here."

"A white wolf with no scent?" A small wolf with wiry legs shrank away, staring at her with wide yellow eyes. "It's a ghost, I tell you."

A gray wolf with scars turned to snap its jaws close to the small one's ear. "Superstition makes you weak, brother," it snarled. "That she-wolf is no ghost."

Elsa took the chance to introduce herself. She inclined her head, a human gesture. "I'm not a ghost," she assured them. "I mean you no harm. My name is Elsa."

The leader sized her up, as if to make sure she was indeed not a spectre or bad spirit out of some nightmare. "I'm Lars, the alpha." He gestured to the wolves flanking him. "These are Egil, Ingvar, Jorg, Tor and Ralf." He flicked his tail to the smallest wolf behind them all, the one who called her a ghost. "And this is Knut, the omega."

Elsa's mind spun. She wasn't sure she could remember all those names. They sounded too much like the growls and snarls they made. Perhaps she could remember by scent; she noticed that she could pick up each of their distinct odors. She wondered why she herself had no scent.

'Maybe it's because I'm not a normal wolf…or I'm touched by special powers…"

She stared back at the pack, only clearly remembering the leader's name in her head. It didn't really matter; she'd ask her question and be on her way, never to see this pack again.

Most of the wolves regarded her with skepticism and confusion, with flattened ears and bodies crouched low on the ground.

Elsa began to say, "Please, I need your help-"

"Why should we help a packless wolf like you?" Jorg asked. "We have a hard enough time looking for food."

The scarred wolf, probably Ingvar, spoke next. "Surely you know the law as well as us. The mountains have no mercy for the weak. The lone wolf dies, while the pack survives."

"It's none of our concern, nor our fault, if you can't find food and die within days," Jorg said.

Elsa shook her head. "No, that's not what I meant-"

"I don't see harm in helping her," Egil said. "I was once a loner myself."

Some wolves objected, others sided with Egil. They began to argue amongst themselves, with Lars snarling and snapping his teeth in an attempt to quell the bickering.

Elsa grew tired of being interrupted. "Listen! My question is not about food!" her cry came out more as a snarl.

The pack suddenly ceased fighting, rapt with shock once more.

A startling thought came Elsa's mind. 'Do they sense my power?' She heard of animals having a sixth sense. Being attuned to the supernatural. Elsa really didn't want to get into a fight and use her powers for harm again. Even against a pack of wolves.

Taking body language into account, Elsa consciously shifted her ears back and lowered her head, lower than the alpha's height but not low enough to grovel in the snow like the omega. Royal blood compelled Elsa to retain at least some of her dignity. "I'm looking for a human. By any chance, have you seen a young woman?" She tried to remember what Anna wore. "She has a magenta cloak and cap, with blue mittens and strawberry-blonde hair in twin braids."

It suddenly occurred to her that most of them were terms wolves wouldn't be familiar with.

"What are mittens?" Knut licked its chops. "Kittens and mutton put together? That sounds delicious."

"You idiot!" Ingvar growled. "She's talking about something humans wear. Do humans wear kittens and mutton? No!"

"But they do wear coats of animal skin," Egil said quietly. "In my years as a loner, before I joined this pack, I've seen them with my own eyes. It was horrible."

Lars finally answered Elsa's question. "A female human? No. You're out of luck. Why would any human in its right mind be out in this freak winter?"

"Come to think of it, didn't we chase a pair of humans a few days ago?" Tor asked.

Jorg pulled his lips back in a grimace. "How could I forget? One of them almost burned all my chest fur off. The savages."

Elsa bit back a gasp. She feigned curiosity, her ears perked with interest. "Tell me more about this pair of humans."

The wolves were more than happy to share their story. Pushed to the brink of starvation, they scented reindeer one night and had dashed in mad pursuit after it. The reindeer happened to be pulling a sled with a pair of humans. Jorg launched into a full account of how a female human had the nerve to set something on fire and hurl it right at him.

'Sounds like Anna, all right,' Elsa thought. 'I have no doubt now. This pack must be referring to her and that man.'

"How did you lose them?" she asked.

The wolves visibly deflated then, as if ashamed to admit their defeat.

"They managed to jump across a gap between 2 cliffs," Ralf growled. "It was too wide; we couldn't follow. We went on with empty stomachs for the rest of that night, until we managed to catch a few mangy rabbits."

"It feels like moons ago when we last ate those," Knut said bitterly.

Lars snorted. "Complaining won't get us anywhere. Let's move on."

"Wait!" Elsa cried. "Let's strike a deal. Help me find the humans, and I'll help you hunt." She was painfully aware that she was hungry just like them.

"She makes a reasonable offer," Rolf said.

"Lars makes the decision," Ingvar replied.

The alpha wolf tilted his head as he eyed her questioningly. "Why is it so important that you find these humans?"

Elsa struggled to come up with an answer. Should she tell the truth? Or lie? Should she tell them that she wasn't really a wolf, only a human cursed to wield ice and prowl on 4 legs?

"I...I have my reasons," Elsa finally said. "What does the need of a loner matter to an alpha like you?"

To her surprise, her answer seemed to strike a chord in the wolf leader.

"You have a point," Lars said as he looked away dismissively. "What you do is your own business, not ours. I was just curious, that's all."

'Must be some facet of wolf culture,' Elsa concluded. Were they creatures that harbored secrets? Preferred to keep to themselves? It seemed to be that way. Again, Elsa wondered if all along she was truly meant for this kind of life.

"Why don't we just head down to that human den?" Ingvar suddenly asked. "There's plenty of viable prey there. The winter has weakened them. And there's so many of them trapped in 1 place..."

Elsa realized with horror that by "human den," Ingvar meant Arendelle.

"No! That's a terrible idea!" She felt flustered as all eyes were on her. To justify her outburst she quickly stammered, "Trust me, you don't want to try it. I've tasted human before. It's disgusting." What really frightened Elsa was that she told the truth. How could she forget the way those men had died under her jaws? She suppressed a shudder.

The pack seemed to regard her with fear again, maybe even with a bit of reverence.

Lars swished his tail. "You heard her, then. There are many reasons why wolves don't hunt humans. Honor is one. Bad taste is another. I expected better of you, Ingvar." His amber gaze then shifted to Elsa, and it seemed to penetrate her. "You must've been truly desperate to stoop that low."

Elsa's fur prickled with hot shame at that. 'You have no idea. I was scared and trapped...I made bad choices, and now I must pay for the consequences.'

Tor scuffed a forepaw in the snow impatiently. "What are we waiting for? Let's go hunting before our bellies start howling."

'The sooner we can find food, the sooner we'll quench our hunger and find Anna.' With this determined thought, Elsa turned to follow the pack.

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><p><strong>I apologize for taking forever to update. I hope you liked it so far!<strong>

**In a Frozen early chapter book called "Anna's Icy Adventures," there was a sketch of seven wolves. I used that as a basis for the seven wolves I named in this fic.****The story behind this is kinda funny, actually. An elderly Barnes and Noble cashier gave me a strange look. Here I was, this college-aged student buying a kiddie Frozen book. I was like "Don't judge me, sir. I'm just buying it for the art." Luckily a couple of medical reference manuals for school, A Dance With Dragons, and a digital art magazine accompanying my purchase was enough to convince him. I'll keep using this excuse to buy the rest of the Frozen picture books. :3**


	3. The Hunt

**Snow Wolf (3)****  
><strong>**The Hunt**

Elsa's fur prickled with nervousness.

She had never hunted in her life; if anything, she'd fare even worse than the pack's omega. She prayed that the wolves wouldn't see right through her when they'd finally find something to kill and eat. She wanted them to trust her just enough to let her follow the pack, but not force her to participate in the hunt. They didn't make much small talk, and for that she was grateful.

As one of royalty and had been groomed to become queen, Elsa was trained for exchanging pleasantries and following etiquette in a very limited setting. This was the wilderness, not the Arendelle court. Elsa had been secluded for most of her life; she was never much of a talker.

'I hope we won't be hunting for days,' she thought as her stomach sunk. 'I want to be done with this and find Anna as soon as possible.'

To attempt contributing to the group effort, Elsa lowered her muzzle to sniff at the snow, trying to catch a whiff of potential prey. She hadn't the slightest clue what deer smelled like, let alone telling the difference among different kinds.

'I guess I'll just have to leave it to instinct. I'll know it's something good when my nose tingles and my mouth starts watering.'

Suddenly Ralf's ears perked up. "I smell elk. Downwind, close to the mountain pass."

"Keep quiet," Ingvar growled. There was no need for the command; no wolf spoke much to begin with.

Elsa cocked her ears forward and lifted her head up, trying to catch what Ralf had detected earlier. Then she mimicked what the rest of the wolves did as they lowered their bodies close to the ground, stalking forward in deliberate quietness.

Eventually they reached the mountain pass. Elsa and the pack kept themselves obscured by foliage and mounds of snow. She saw the herd of deer, and the scent that hit the roof of her mouth nearly knocked her flat. They smelled so sinfully good...she couldn't wait to sink her teeth into one of them...

Elsa quickly stopped herself and shook her head, startled at her own thoughts. She glanced at the others to see them eye the deer with ferocious, unblinking intensity.

"They're trying to look for grass to graze on," Egil said in a low voice. "I reckon the other herds must've left long ago. This herd chose to stay behind. Either they're amazingly persistent or amazingly stupid."

"Either way, their persistence or stupidity is good for us," Jorg said. "What's your plan, Lars?"

Elsa was surprised to notice that the alpha wolf wasn't staring at the deer, but at her. "Your white fur blends in with the snow," Lars remarked. "On top of that, you don't seem to have a scent. This is a huge advantage to us...you could lead the sneak attack."

What Lars had said was not a request. The wolves looked to her expectantly. Elsa had no choice but to obey, and she couldn't come up with an excuse.

Lars must've seen the uncertainty in her eyes. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"...It's been a while since I last hunted," Elsa replied, hesitant. "I don't know if you really want me to lead this attack..."

"It won't be difficult, especially for you. Aim for the young, sick, or old ones. It's a common mistake to target prey in their prime." Ingvar cast a look of disdain at Knut. "My brother learned this the hard way."

"That stag tricked me into thinking it was weak," Knut retorted defensively. "It kicked me in the face just as I made a dive for it. I almost broke my jaws."

Elsa felt her stomach clench in anxiety. "O-okay. I'll be careful."

"We'll be flanking you, so you're not in this alone," Lars said. "You'll start the pursuit. That will be the signal for us to follow after you."

Elsa didn't think she could take all this pressure. But she had to, for the survival of the pack and any hope of finding her sister. She steeled herself and dug her claws into the snow.

'All right. I'll do it.'

The wolves fell silent as Elsa stalked forward, away from the cover of snow-topped grass and trees. Her whole body was tense, ready to spring forward at the opportune moment.

'Don't feel, don't feel...calm yourself, control yourself...'

She may not have a discernible scent, but she prayed that deer couldn't smell fear. She felt as if she reeked of it. Elsa never took her eyes off them. They still seemed oblivious of her quiet approach as they brushed their muzzles over the ground, trying to look for grass not yet withered and covered by the snow. Elsa spotted a few fawns close to their mothers.

Personally she'd rather avoid catching baby deer if she could help it. Guilty of killing 2 men, Elsa didn't want to add fawns to her list of crimes. Even if she did it for survival. She tried to look for old deer instead, those that would only hinder the herd and had already lived long, full lives.

She continued to creep forward, inch by painful inch until she was a couple of bounds away from the nearest deer. She was amazed how she had gotten this far undetected.

'This is my chance.'

Elsa leapt forward, baring her teeth. She never knew deer could react so fast. She narrowly avoided a hindleg kick and getting her skull smashed in. The herd seemed to snap out of a collective trance and sprinted away. Elsa heard the wolves snarl and howl several feet behind her. She bolted after the herd as they retreated into the mountain pass.

She saw 1 stag flagging behind, not as vigorous and quick as the others before it. The rest of herd paid no heed to the one in danger; in fear and flight there was no room for sympathy or selflessness. Like a white arrow Elsa homed in on the old deer, racing for the kill. If there were any effective killing techniques that should come into play, Elsa had no idea. She simply leapt and sank her teeth into the old stag's rump.

Warm blood filled her mouth, spurring her adrenaline and making her bite harder. The stag didn't go down without a fight. It kicked and struggled, practically dragging Elsa along. She scrabbled for a good hold, trying not to get trampled or kicked. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a couple of wolves, maybe Ingvar and Jorg, take down a fawn that had strayed from its mother. Lars, Tor and Ralf leapt in to help Elsa.

To her astonishment, she felt ice forming from her mouth and sinking into the deer's coat.

'No-! I'm going to freeze it whole!'

She wished with all her might that such a thing wouldn't happen. This deer would be food for all the wolves. How could she help them if she completely froze it? They'd starve, they might kick her out of the pack, and she'd never find Anna...

Elsa couldn't believe it. Somehow, the ice never went beyond her bite marks. Crippled by ice and deep wounds, the deer fell into its death throes and, locked in the tight jaws of Lars, Tor and Ralf, finally stopped moving.

Elsa let go, her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Her legs trembled and her head reeled. It was an exhilarating experience, to say the least. Whatever the deer might've said as it fought for its life, Elsa wouldn't understand it. She was glad she only had ears for human and wolf speech.

She hoped that they wouldn't notice the frozen bite marks. Thankfully, the wolves were too caught up in their blood frenzy. Hunger and instinct made them roughly push and bite at each other, until Lars had to quell their fight and assert his authority. Elsa backed away to let him eat first. She stiffened in surprise when he raised his tail to brush her flank.

"It's your catch. You may have the first bites with me."

Without further ado, Lars lowered his head to snap at a jawful of deer meat. Elsa gulped and tried to do the same. It amazed her how strong her teeth were. She felt the flesh easily give way into shreds. Maybe it was her wolf palate, but the deer didn't taste as horrible as she thought. The wolves ate the fawn too, but Elsa would have no part in it. She looked away as they continued to feast. The wolves didn't mind the blood and viscera staining their muzzles and paws as they satisfied their empty stomachs. It didn't take much to fill her up; she didn't have the appetite to take in lots of raw meat.

Lars lifted his head, his muzzle stained with blood. "We've had our fill, and you've proven that you can keep your end of the deal. Now we'll do our part. We'll help you find these humans."


	4. Valley of the Living Rock

**Snow Wolf (4)  
>Valley of the Living Rock<strong>

"So, what's our lead?"

Ingvar's gruff inquiry had the cogs turning in Elsa's mind. She was grateful that the pack had decided to keep their end of the promise. Honestly, she didn't think they would help her at all. After the successful hunt, the wolf pack felt refreshed and ready to embark on the search for Elsa's mystery humans.

But now she ran into another problem: she didn't even know where to start.

There wasn't much to go on in order to conduct an efficient search. Describing appearances or names wouldn't suffice; they'd mean nothing to the wolves. She didn't even know the name of the man who accompanied Anna. And if she mentioned Olaf, the wolves would certainly think she had gone mad for asserting the existence of a talking, living snowman. Elsa thought of Jorg's account of the night chase. She still clung to the hope that one of the people in the sled might've been Anna. It was a feeble, almost futile hope. But it was all she had.

Finally Elsa said, "I know it's been a few days since that night...but do you happen to remember the scent of that reindeer?"

The wolves exchanged inquiring looks amongst themselves, but no one spoke up with a sure reply. To her dismay, Elsa assumed that none of them knew.

"There are plenty of reindeer in these parts," Jorg said mildly. "Tracking down a particular one will be anything but easy."

She sighed. "I figured as much." She stood there, legs rooted deep in the snow and feeling helpless. 'What can I do? Where can I go? If we wander aimlessly through these mountains, we'll perish.' Her heart ached when she thought of the late king of Arendelle. 'How would Papa act in this situation? He always knew what to do.' Suddenly a startling thought struck her.

"The trolls," she exclaimed. "Maybe the trolls can help." It burst out of her before she thought through and kept it to herself.

The wolves, even Lars, bristled with shock.

"What are you saying, Elsa?" the alpha murmured.

"Th-the living rocks? They're actually real?" Knut stammered.

She nodded. "I've met them before."

"And you are still alive?"

The omega wolf's eyes were so wide that Elsa couldn't help but laugh. "Well, yes. Why do you ask such a silly question?" She saw that the wolves weren't kidding around, and after a few moments she regarded them with surprise. "You think the trolls are...evil?"

"Of course," Ralf said with a dark scowl. "Legends have it that they steal away human cubs to devour their soft flesh. That is how they gain and strengthen their immortality. They have also mastered the arts of trickery and illusions."

"They're not to be trusted," Egil added.

Elsa gently refuted them with a shake of her head. "That's not true. The trolls I know are kind and wise." She looked into the alpine distance, her blue eyes lost in the mountains. 'Maybe I can find Anna in that valley. She might be just as lost as I am. If not, then at least the trolls can tell me what to do from there. Maybe they can even tell me how I became a wolf in the first place.'

Jorg barked with scornful laughter. "You mean to tell us that you've actually ventured to the valley, encountered trolls, and now live to tell the tale?"

"I don't lie," Elsa said defensively. "I'm telling the truth. The trolls are real and they are certainly not evil." 'I don't tell lies, but I do keep secrets,' she thought with guilt.

Embarrassment prickled her white fur as she said, "It's been a long time since I've been to the valley. I haven't been there since I was a little girl-I mean, cub. I don't know the way."

This time Lars spoke up. "All wolves know about the Valley of the Living Rock, though we also know to steer clear from it. Are you absolutely sure about going there?"

Without hesitation, Elsa nodded firmly. 'It's all I can go on for now. Will he refuse...?'

After a long moment, Lars made a wide sweep with his tail. "Very well. We will escort you to the trolls."

The other wolves exchanged surprised and wary looks, some of them looking as if to protest, but kept silent and thought better than to oppose the alpha.

Knut's skinny legs trembled. "We're going to die. The trolls will spirit us away and we'll return as scentless ghosts just like Elsa."

Ingvar made an irritated snarl. "Where's your pride as a wolf? We fear nothing. We'll go wherever Lars orders us to go." But upon further scrutiny, Elsa could see that Ingvar looked just as uncomfortable as the others.

The wolves said nothing as they carefully picked their way across a steep cliff face. Elsa observed them constantly pawing at the terrain for soft snow or loose rocks. After some time, there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief as the pack were back on flat ground. They moved out of their single file line and back into the usual huddle.

"Elsa, walk with me," Lars abruptly said.

Hiding her skepticism, she picked up the pace to catch up with the alpha. She threw a glance past him, and she could see the valley looming closer with every pawstep.

Lars glanced at her and looked ahead. "I need to ask you something."

"What is it...?"

"Do you have a mate or cubs?"

The sudden question greatly startled her. "N-no, I don't," Elsa stammered. 'I wonder why he asked that...'

No sooner had she finished her thought, she got her answer. Lars stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. With no hesitation or uncertainty in his voice, he declared, "When winter comes, I'd like to make you my mate."

Elsa halted so abruptly that Tor nearly hit his snout against her rump. Her jaw dropped open in an unabashed gape. "N-now...?" she stammered.

"No, the real winter."

It took her a few seconds to process what he had meant. "Oh, right."

Elsa was still frozen in speechless shock. His solemn declaration completely threw her off guard.

The other wolves looked just as surprised. They knew that Lars making her his mate in the winter meant that she would give him cubs the following spring. Lars meant business. He was being perfectly serious. Elsa hadn't the slightest idea of how to respond.

She felt herself grow hot. 'What on earth is he saying? I can't mate a wolf I just met. I...I'm not even a wolf to begin with. I'm human!'

The alpha wolf remained still and eyed her thoughtfully, gauging her reaction.

Finally she managed to say, "But...why me, Lars...?"

With the frank and serious tone he had before, he replied, "You've impressed me during that hunt, and you've captivated me with your loveliness the moment we first met."

His straightforward honesty was something she wasn't used to at all.

Lars's voice was gentle yet firm. "It's not my place to pry into the secrets of others, but I don't believe in keeping any of my own. That's why I felt I had to tell you." He turned away from her; Elsa thought she saw a tinge of regret in his amber eyes. "I see this comes as a great shock to you, and I apologize. This will have to wait, then." He turned away and resumed walking. "We have another urgent matter to attend; we'll get you to the Valley of the Living Rock as quickly as possible."

"Thank you," she replied.

Elsa and Lars fell silent, though she could vaguely hear the shocked murmurs of the others behind her.

She didn't know whether to be angry or not. 'It's inconsiderate of him to do that...to jump into such an important decision like choosing a mate for life, and without my consent, to top it off. Then again, in the wolf world, he's just springing at the opportunity to take a mate without dispute. I also haven't told him anything about myself. In a way, I'm being unfair to him, too.'

She felt no sexual attraction to Lars, to say the least. It was not because he was an ugly wolf. She just felt it was too strange for her, a human, to have such feelings for an animal. Again she felt her fur grow warm. Lars seemed to find her attractive, by wolf standards. Elsa tried to shake off all thoughts of his confession and how she would have to deal with him. Finding Anna needed to come first in her mind.

The closer the pack edged into the valley, the more the wolves tensed. Elsa didn't need to look to sense the fear coming off of them in unseen waves. She ignored the anxiety creeping up her paws. She had nothing to be afraid of. It had been thirteen years ago, late at night. She had been speeding on the back of her father's horse; despite her blurred memory, she still remembered the valley. The piney woods gradually thinned out into smooth stone and moss. The air grew considerably warmer from the steam vents littered across the area.

Despite the warmth, Elsa saw the wolves bristling with wariness. They crept around the steam vents, light on their paws and ready to fight or flee.

"Where will the trolls appear?" Tor asked quietly, as if loath to disturb and attract the beings of living rock.

Elsa looked around. "I remember seeing them in a circular dead end. Just a few more steps and we'll be there, I think."

"It's best if you go ahead of us," Lars said. "If it is true that they recognize you, nothing bad should happen with you in the lead."

Elsa stepped forward with confidence. She knew the trolls wouldn't harm her if she told them who she really was. They reached the dead end. As Elsa expected, large smooth boulders occupied the area.

Knut curled back his lips and lowered his haunches with his tail curled between his legs. "Th-they're right in front of us!" he exclaimed.

The wolves jolted and snarled as the rocks suddenly quivered. The earth beneath them rumbled as the rocks rolled closer. The wolves backed up against each other and growled. Lars quickly moved in front of Elsa, his flank brushing hers in a protective gesture. She remembered her father doing more or less the same thing thirteen years ago. In fact, she was both touched and surprised to see that all the wolves seemed to converge around her, shielding her from what they thought was a threat.

"It's all right, we're fine," she reassured the wolf pack. "You have nothing to fear." Elsa stepped away from Lars to address the rocks in a bold, clear voice. "We're sorry for disturbing you all. It's me, Elsa."

The wolf pack flinched in surprise as the seemingly lifeless rocks sprung to life before their eyes. Elsa recognized the one with the most moss on his back and seasons on his weathered form as Pabbie, the troll king. No wolf or troll said a word as he slowly approached Elsa. She lowered her head to let him gently touch her muzzle.

"Elsa…yes, I recognize you. Quite a change in thirteen years, Princess Elsa. Or should I say Queen?"

"I'm no longer a queen," she replied in a soft voice. "You were right…fear became my enemy. It got the better of me, and now I'm being hunted." She lowered her eyes from him in shame. "Not what you expected, isn't it?"

"Quite the contrary, dear," he replied a grim yet gentle voice. "I suspected this transformation would happen sooner or later. This is what happens when your powers have reached their full potential."

Her ears perked, but only for an instant. "I'd be very interested in learning more about my powers, but it will have to wait. I'm in a hurry to find my sister Anna."

A troll right behind Pabbie spoke up. "Anna? Oh! You just missed her. She was just here not too long ago, wasn't she, Cliff?"

"Right you are, Bulda," the troll next to her replied. "And with our Kristoff in tow, to boot."

"So his name is Kristoff," Elsa said to herself. She stared at the trolls in shock. "You said they were just here?" She could hardly believe it. "Did they say where they were heading, by any chance?"

Pabbie put a hand to his chin. "I believe Anna mentioned needing to get to Hans."

"But if you ask for our opinion, we say that who she really needs is our boy Kristoff."

Pabbie shook his head. "Bulda, this is no time for lighthearted banter." He turned to Elsa with a frown etched deep into his worn face. "It pains me to bring you such ill tidings, and though I believe you done it by accident like before…you have frozen Anna's heart."

Elsa gasped. "What? No! H-how…? How could I have done such a terrible thing?" She hardly paid attention to the wolves behind her, or the utter confusion they must feel at the moment. "Is there a way to undo it?" she pressed Pabbie.

"Yes. Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart," he replied.

"True love…it's crazy, but Hans might just be the one." Elsa clenched her jaw when she thought of the skirmish in her ice palace. The prince of the Southern Isles was likely still in the woods, leading a hunting party for Elsa. But Anna…

"I have to intercept my sister before she reaches Arendelle," she said aloud. "She thinks Hans is there, but by the time she'll reach the castle it'll be too late. Hans won't be there to thaw her heart."

"Elsa, what's going on?" Lars asked. "I don't understand."

In her emotional turmoil, she nearly forgot the wolf pack beside her. She turned to face them and their confused faces. Her mind spun as she struggled to find the best way to explain it to them. "I…I am actually the alpha female of a human pack. I ran away and turned into a wolf. It's my fault that my sister is in danger, and I must find her to undo what I've done." Elsa looked to each wolf, and finally to Lars. She didn't think she would get attached to the pack in a matter of hours. "You don't have to follow me. You've done more than enough for me already, whether you really wanted to or not. I think I must do this alone."

She threw the wolves and trolls a look of mixed regret and gratitude before bounding away. "There's no time to lose. Thank you so much for everything!" Her white paws were a blur as she raced through the forest, her heart thundering in her chest and blood pounding her ears.

'Anna, I'm coming for you. Just hang on. If I'm too late, I'll never forgive myself.'


	5. Doubt and Trust

**I'm so sorry for taking forever to update. This fic is almost done.**

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><p><strong>Snow Wolf (5)<br>****Doubt and Trust**

Pine, aspen, birch. Different trees blurred into indifference as Elsa sped down the forest path. Bramble, burs and ice didn't deter the toughened pads of her paws. Muscles bunched and stretched like pistons as she carried herself through the forest in powerful lopes. She never took her eyes off the snow-covered castle that awaited her at the bottom of the mountain. Her heart sunk at the sight.

'The curse of winter hasn't lifted. I have to find Anna before she finds Hans...and before Hans finds me...'

Even with the body of a wolf, Elsa was not used to sprinting long distances. She skidded to a stop, sending snow flying as she tried to catch her breath.

"Elsa!"

Her head snapped up at the sound of her name. She turned and was shocked to see Lars and his pack fast approaching her. She blinked in surprise at their sudden and unexpected appearance.

"Wh-what...?"

Tor snorted. "Well, that was rude, leaving us in the valley like that."

Elsa's eyes darted among the wolves in confusion. "After everything I've said...you're still willing to follow me?"

"There's a saying among us wolves," Ingvar declared. "Whatever a loner can do, the pack does it better."

Ralf shot a glance at Arendelle below. "Getting into the human den by yourself will be anything but easy. It doesn't help that you appear as a wolf, even if you truly are the alpha female. We'll stand a better chance if we storm in as a pack."

Knut nervously spoke up. "We'll even distract the humans for you if they try to get in the way."

Ingvar shot an amused glance at the omega. "When you say that, are you aware that you include yourself?"

"Yes, I know," Knut retorted. "I'm not a coward all the time, brother."

Lars turned to Elsa, and bunched his shoulders in what could be a shrug if he were human. "We haven't indulged in anything interesting for moons. There's no need to push us away. We will do our best to help."

Gratitude overwhelmed her. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

Having recovered some of her strength, Elsa took off once again, this time with the pack close behind her.

* * *

><p>Urgency spurred Sven as he plowed through the snow on heavy yet swift legs. He didn't need to look back to his human friend to see the sheer worry and panic on Kristoff's face. Anna shivered in his arm. The rugged young ice harvester slipped his cap firmly on her whitening head.<p>

"Hang in there," he panted. "We'll be there soon."

The princess barely stirred to acknowledge him. Only the faint warmth of her breath under his chin told him she was still alive. Even with his and her winter clothes, the chill of her body grew all the more colder. Kristoff clutched her tighter against his chest, praying that he could reach Arendelle before it would be too late.

Olaf the snowman wasn't far behind. He slid on his belly, keeping pace with Sven. "Let's bring back summer!" he declared.

"Stay out of sight!" Kristoff ordered.

"Okay!" But no sooner had Olaf hurtled away and into the village, ensuing screams from startled commoners made Kristoff roll his eyes. But he had something far more important to worry about. Anna's life was on the line, and he'd never forgive himself if he couldn't at least bring her to Prince Hans.

Next he heard an Arendelle guard shout from the battlement. "It's the princess! Open the gates!"

Sven slowed to a halt before the wooden double doors. Kristoff dismounted from the reindeer, keeping a stiff upper lip, trying his best and failing to look stern and unmoving.

"A-are you going to be okay...?" Anna asked.

Kristoff looked down and his face softened. "Don't worry about me," he murmured.

Anna was struck with ice by her own sister, freezing cold and facing certain death...and still she worried for _him_? No one, no human for that matter, had ever cared for him that way before. It made their parting all the more painful. Even if she somehow and miraculously survived freezing from a frozen heart, he would probably never see her again. But if that was what it took to help her live, Kristoff was willing to take that chance.

The doors parted for a slim middle-aged woman and a portly red-haired men, both clearly part of the castle staff.

"Oh, Princess Anna!" the woman exclaimed. "Kai, let's get her inside quickly."

"Gerda, we should alert the others to retreat to shelter. The storm's getting worse."

"Right. We'll take care of that after we see to the princess."

"She needs Prince Hans," Kristoff asserted. "Take her to him right now."

Kai and Gerda exchanged a look.

Kai looked uncomfortable as he said, "Prince Hans is away."

Kristoff was dumbfounded. "What do you mean by 'away?'"

"On the night of the coronation, he set out on a search party for Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. They haven't returned since."

A curse burst from Kristoff's lips before he could stop himself. He struck the stone wall with an angry fist. 'Of all times for him to be gone...right when Anna needs him most!' His anger towards Hans faded as his eyes fell on Anna and his heart went out for her. "What should we do, then?" he asked with worry.

The look Gerda gave him was nothing but sympathetic. Clearly he had been through much with the princess of Arendelle, keeping her safe and alive the best he could. "All we can do is wait, young man. The castle is the warmest and safest place in Arendelle right now, so we'll keep Anna inside until the prince returns." She moved forward to usher in Kristoff. "Thank you for bringing the princess here. As a token of our gratitude, please come inside. You must be freezing."

"Your reindeer will have to stay outside, I'm afraid," Kai said. "Only horses of the royal guard are allowed on castle grounds."

Kristoff was reluctant to leave behind his best friend, but he said, "I understand." He turned to Sven and rubbed his bulbous muzzle. "Keep watch for Prince Hans, okay? Holler for me and I'll be right there."

Sven gave an affirmative grunt. Kristoff returned a sad smile. He could always count on his loyal reindeer friend. He followed after Kai and Gerda as they carefully ushered Anna inside. He shut the gates behind him. Sven stood as the lone sentinel of Arendelle's gates, his thick shaggy fur protecting him from the chill. His ears twitched. He swore he thought he heard faint screams and howls amid the wind.

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><p>No sooner had the villagers had gotten over the sudden arrival of a talking snowman, terror reigned once more as Elsa and Lars's pack rushed into Arendelle. No one was brave or foolish enough to stop the incoming wolves. People leapt or ran out of the way. Elsa had no time to apologize; even if she did, no one would be able to understand her wolfish growls and barks.<p>

She and the other wolves streaked past like arrows loosed from a taut bow. The guards too were startled, but only for a moment. Soon Elsa heard their horses gallop after them.

"Keep going!" Ralf called to her. "We'll handle this."

He, Knut, and Tor slowed pace, letting the rest run ahead. They stood rooted at the spot, even as the guards bore down on them with unrelenting speed. Suddenly the three wolves whirled around and bristled with explosive snarls. Thoroughly spooked, the horses reeled back and threw off their riders before they could grab hold of the reins. The guards yelped as they tumbled in the air. Fortunately the snow below softened their falls. The wolves didn't stop to inflict any fatal blows, like they might habe in a hunt or against ordinary prey. Instead they turned tail and ran to catch up with their comrades.

Knut looked particularly proud of himself. "Ingvar can't call me a coward anymore. _I_ was the one who scared the humans!" His tail flew wildly in the wind, rather than being tucked under his belly as usual.

Elsa, Lars, Ingvar, Jorg and Egil sped towards the castle. With the guards behind them, the wolves thought they ran unimpeded. They were wrong. Dogs sprang forward with bared teeth and bristling hackles to block their path.

Lars curled his lip in disdain. "These don't look like stray curs."

'They must be the guards' dogs!' Elsa realized.

The largest plothound, still lean as far as most dogs went, stepped forward with aggressive authority. "Kill off these intruders at once!" he barked. He lunged at Elsa. No match for his experience as a hunting and fighting dog, she couldn't evade.

She let out a startled and angered yelp as the plothound instantly went for her throat. She dug the claws of her hindlegs into the dog's hard, lean stomach. Even with all her strength, her frantic efforts failed to move the trained dog.

The plothound curled its lip at her. "It ends now, wolf. I'll send you to the afterlife with your tail tucked between your legs."

"I am Queen Elsa of Arendelle!" she said in defiance. "Out of my way, I have no time for you!"

The plothound flinched, taken aback at this declaration. That was all Ingvar needed. He hurled himself at the startled plothound, freeing Elsa from being pinned down and strangled to death. The two canines rolled in the snow with fangs bared and angry growls ripping from their throats.

"Thanks, Ingvar. I owe you," she gasped.

Though he had heard, Ingvar was too busy tearing at the enemy dog to acknowledge her gratitude. Lust for battle clearly had the wolf in its grip.

Egil whined in pain as a burly mastiff tore off his left ear. The former lone wolf retaliated with a savage swipe at the eyes, effectively blinding the dog. A cornered Jorg took on three hounds at once, his fangs and claws a blur as he fiercely fought to defend himself. More dogs rushed in to replace the ones that had fallen from the wolves' assault. Lars and Elsa backed up against each other as the dogs surrounded them. The steadfast alpha wolf never turned his penetrating gaze away from the dogs.

"I will clear a path for you," Lars said in a low voice. "The moment I do, run straight for the big human den and don't look back."

Elsa had no choice but to comply. She'd stay and help her friends fight if her little sister didn't come first.

Ingvar and Egil leapt to take care of the dogs hemming them in from the sides. Lars charged forward alone, drawing many of the front dogs towards him. At the last moment he hurled himself sideways, the length of his body making him collide into several dogs at once.

Elsa seized the chance to run.

She jumped over their sprawled bodies in time before the dogs stirred from their daze. The wolves quickly regrouped to form a barrier between Elsa and the dogs, keeping the latter from chasing after her. The dogs were in for a nasty surprise as Knut, Ralf, and Tor crashed in from behind and reunited with their fellow pack members. The literal dogfight resumed with full force.

Elsa ran alone, and as Lars had commanded, she didn't spare a glance back. Honestly, she wouldn't have it any other way. Even if the whole pack managed to stay with her, saving Anna was something she alone could do. Saving Anna...could she even do that?

The winds picked up strength and snow poured in even harder than before. Elsa was nearly swept off her paws by the very storm she had caused. She gritted her teeth and narrowed her blue eyes. Even as the castle drew closer, it became almost lost in a white, ice-cold haze.

She finally came to a stop when she sensed she stood before the entrance. She peered closer, and was surprised to see a lone reindeer standing guard in front of the closed gates. 'How am I going to get through this?' She cringed as she remembered what Ingvar had said to her. 'Maybe this would be much easier if I had Lars and his pack with me.'

The reindeer looked as if it wouldn't budge an inch; Elsa felt she had no choice but to fight it off in order to get inside the castle.

She saw it perk its head up in alarm and exclaim to itself: "A lone wolf? What's it doing here?"

Elsa was quite surprised to understand what the reindeer had said. Its voice was deep and mellow, harder to understand than wolf speech, but she could hear it talk all the same.

The reindeer leapt forward, lowering its head to brandish its tines at Elsa. Sven pawed the ground with one hoof and charged. Elsa dodged to the side just in time. She cringed as she remembered how close his tines practically brushed her fur.

'One hit and I'm a goner. He may be strong, but I'm faster.' Elsa ducked again from a second charge.

"Should I call for Kristoff?" she heard the reindeer ask itself. "No, I can take care of this myself. It's just one wolf. Besides, Hans isn't here yet. I shouldn't be bothering Kristoff while he's worrying over Anna."

Elsa's ears cocked forward at the mention of her little sister's name. 'How in the world does this reindeer know Anna?' Then she shook her head. 'It doesn't matter. What matters is that somehow I need to get inside, and this reindeer might just help me in. That is...if I can get him to believe me...'

Elsa decided to give it a shot. "Reindeer! Do you understand what I'm saying to you right now?"

Sven pulled back, his head tilted in confusion. "You...you're talking to me?" His eyes narrowed to a glare. "What am I doing standing around? I should be driving you away."

"I'm Queen Elsa, Anna's sister! You know Anna, don't you?"

Sven's eyes widened with shock as he beheld this strange white she-wolf, and it dawned on him. "Are you really Elsa...? But why are you a wolf? Can't you just revert to being human?"

"That's exactly my problem," she replied helplessly. "I can't do it. You have to believe me. My powers got the better of me and I turned into this. All I want to do is see my sister."

The reindeer made an angry snort. "You hurt Anna back in the ice castle. She was just trying to help you, and she didn't deserve what you did to her."

"Her heart has been frozen, I know," Elsa shouted desperately above the howling wind. "It's all my fault, but I swear that it was an accident! I returned to undo what I've done. Please, you have to help me."

She felt as if her paws pressed on pins and needles as Sven pondered over this for several seconds. Finally he said slowly, "I decide to trust you. If it turns out you've been lying, you'll regret it."

Sven threw back his head and called for Kristoff. The ululating bellow quickly reached the ice harvester's ears, even as he went inside. His heart soared with hope. 'Is Hans finally in Arendelle?'

Anna stirred and blinked slowly. "What was that?"

Kristoff held her hands for a second, his voice gentle yet firm. "Sven needs me, but this won't take long, I promise. Just stay inside and keep warm." He turned and rushed outside.

"What is it, Sven? Is Hans here-" Then Kristoff jumped back and his eyes flew wide with alarm. "A white wolf!"

He patted at his belt and jerkin. "If only I still had my tools with me." He was surprised when Sven leapt in front of him. He was further taken aback as the reindeer uttered long and insisting grunts.

When Sven finished and fell quiet, Kristoff staggered back and blinked. "Y-you mean to tell me that the wolf right there is actually Queen Elsa?"

Sven turned his head back to Elsa, who gave them both the best human nod she could muster with her wolf body.

Elsa had watched their conversation with mixed intrigue and shock. 'Kristoff understands what Sven is saying...?'

Kristoff stared at her skeptically. "But if you're here, where is Hans? He went looking for you and Anna."

Elsa met his confusion with her own. "Hans is not in Arendelle?"

Sven relayed her message, to which Kristoff responded with a groan. "We shouldn't have pinned our hopes on that prince. We need him to kiss Anna so he can thaw her frozen heart."

"Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart," Elsa murmured to herself. She looked up and shook her head. "No, she just met him. It's not true love. It wouldn't work."

"You believe that too? Looks like I'm not alone." A dejected sigh escaped Kristoff's lips. He found himself asking again, "What should we do...?"

The sorrow in Elsa's blue eyes was clear, deep, and painfully human. "May I see Anna? Just this once. If it comes down to it...I will banish myself and never come back to Arendelle ever again. But before I do, I would like to see my little sister one last time."

Mixed sympathy and uncertainty crossed Kristoff's face. Maybe it was his connection to animals, to Sven in particular, that he was able to see the human in Elsa even when she appeared as a wolf. He scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, Queen Elsa...I was just invited into the castle, but they might just kick me out if I bring you inside. But we can't have Anna come back outside either...she'd freeze to death."

If Elsa were human, she'd be frowning in thought. "Perhaps you can stow me in a bag and have me pass for firewood to bring into the castle."

Sven personally found this clever, but Kristoff had the final say in this, so he translated Elsa's message to his human friend. Kristoff was about to reply to either approve or reject this idea, and ended up doing neither when the sound of men and galloping horses made him look up. As the Arendelle guards approached the closed gates, the three were in for a big surprise when they saw who led them.

Kristoff's mouth dropped open despite all the snow. "Prince Hans?"

The prince of the Southern Isles looked tall and gallant on his horse Sitron. He brandished a bloodied sword with deft ease. "I heard from the guards that Princess Anna has returned. You have my thanks, ice harvester."

Kristoff quickly recovered from his shock to glare at him. "Took you long enough," he muttered.

Hans brushed away his insolence and ignored it as he replied, "I apologize for not coming here as soon as I should have. The guards and I ran into troublesome animals. Nothing too serious, just a temporary hold up."

Elsa stiffened with shock and terror. 'The blood on his sword...Lars and the pack-! Could they be-?" She didn't want to think about it. But if they were dead, it was only logical that Hans came for her next.

Kristoff's voice was edgy with impatience. "Will you see Anna now? She was struck in the heart with ice." Out of consideration for Elsa, he left out who was responsible for Anna's plight. "She's freezing cold, and she's turning white. Anna needs you."

"I'm sorry, ice harvester," Then Hans stared down at Elsa. "I have another important matter I must settle."

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><p><strong>What did you think of talking Sven? It was fun writing his and Elsa's interactions.<strong>


	6. Reversal

**Snow Wolf (6)  
><strong>**Reversal**

Kristoff tightened his hands into fists and his temper flared. "What could possibly be more important than Anna if you claim to love her so much?"

Hans pointed his sword at Elsa. "Believe me when I tell you that this white wolf before us all...is Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

Surprise flickered across Kristoff's face upon Hans knowing the truth about her. "Yeah, she told me herself. Well, sort of. What of it?"

"I'd stay well away from her if I were you. She has been consumed by beastly madness and a thirst for blood. She already killed two men."

Kristoff turned to Elsa with shock. "Is that true?"

She had no choice but to nod. The blood was on her paws, even after she had cleaned them in snow and river water long ago. Guilt gnawed at her gut, a guilt akin to the inner beast that had seized control of her when she lashed out at the Weselton bodyguards. She still cannot say whether she had killed them in blind hot rage, or in cold blood, or a strange mix of both.

Hans's face was serious and grim as his gaze seem to pin down the white wolf with accusation. "She wanted to hide so that the villagers wouldn't see her like this, but an irrational bloodlust drives her now. She only left her refuge in the wild to follow Anna to Arendelle...and kill her."

Elsa's white fur bristled with indignation. "That's not true! I would _never_ kill my own sister! How dare you!"

Of course, the surrounding humans only understood this in the form of a sudden loud snarl. Even Sitron whinnied and backed away in fear at Elsa's burst of anger. Hans kept calm and only shook his head with pity, now looking upon Elsa as if she was a lost cause.

"She has gone mad, and the only way to end this madness is to kill her."

Kristoff looked torn and lost with uncertainty. "Kill the queen? But..."

"I never asked for your opinion, ice harvester." Hans swung his sword aloft and spurred his horse to a galloping charge.

Elsa stood rooted on the spot. Did she deserve to die? Her low self-worth told her maybe. Her instincts screamed no. Elsa turned and leapt for the stone wall. She couldn't quite jump clear over it. Her paws scrabbled against the stone as she pushed off and landed hard on the frozen lake. She took off without a glance back, her tail streaming behind her.

"After her, Sitron!" Hans called.

* * *

><p>From the large study room upstairs, Anna peered out the window, and could hardly believe what she saw.<p>

Hans returned to Arendelle! But what was he doing? Why wasn't he barging into the castle and coming straight for her? She had missed it upon first glance, but she looked harder to see that Hans had his sword pointed at a white wolf, its pure-colored pelt almost one with the whirling snow. A strange feeling stirred within her as soon as she had laid eyes on it. What was it about the wolf that made her feel this way?

Anna clenched her jaw and willed her frigid, stiff body to move. Even the fire in the room couldn't warm the chill that spread inside her like an unfeeling parasite, or a spider of ice weaving a web that ensnared her in its cold grip. With a trembling hand, Anna reached for the door. She pulled back in surprise when she saw the doorknob jiggle. The door opened, and the first thing she saw was a carrot stuck in the keyhole. Then she looked down.

"Olaf?"

The snowman plucked his nose free from the keyhole and stuck it back on his face with a wide smile. "Yep, it's me. That lady named Gerda told me you'd be in here. Well, after she had to take a few seconds to calm down."

Anna threw a worried glance at the frost-covered window. "Olaf, I need you to help me get downstairs and outside the gates."

"But you just got here," he said as he fretted. "You'll freeze to death! Did Hans already...?"

Anna dimmed Olaf's hopeful smile with a sad shake of her head. "He's here, but he hasn't kissed me yet." The sinking feeling in her heart grew stronger as her shining image of the prince of the Southern Isles dimmed. She couldn't help but feel betrayed.

Olaf crossed his stick arms and huffed in disapproval. "Hmph, that's irresponsible of him! If he isn't coming here, then _we_ will go to _him_!"

Suddenly frost spread across the room, and icicles protruded from every kind of surface like cold teeth. Anna gasped in fright. The cold reached even in here now?

"Let's get out of this room!" Olaf shouted. He opened the door, only to see large, threatening icicles completely barring their path. "Nope, can't go through here." He scuttled to the other side of the room and threw open the window. He nearly flew back as a gust of tumultuous wind rushed in. He had to shout to be heard. "We have to jump, Anna!"

She climbed to the windowsill and dared herself to look down. She pushed aside her fear and literally threw caution to the four winds.

A scream made Kristoff and Sven look up. They gaped as they saw Anna and Olaf sliding down the snow-covered roofs together. Olaf accumulated into a large, ungainly snowball while Anna landed safely on the ground with a skidding halt. Kristoff jumped off Sven and rushed over to her.

"Anna! What are you-"

"What's going on?" she cut him off. "What is Hans doing?" Even her demand came out in a weak whisper.

Kristoff shook his head. "You probably won't believe me if I told you, but Hans is off to kill Elsa."

"Elsa?"

"The white wolf."

Several emotions went through Anna at once. Shock, confusion, and righteous anger. Suddenly she came to her senses and a resolute fire burned bright in her eyes. "We need to stop him now! I need to get on Sven!"

There was no time for him to object. She came all this way out here, and the least he could do was to protect her. With little effort and strong arms he swung her up onto Sven's back. Kristoff jumped in behind her and kicked his heels into Sven's flanks. The reindeer snorted and galloped forward, determined to catch up to Hans and Sitron.

Further down the frozen fjord, Elsa did not stop. The wind picked up speed and strength the more she ran. The cuts she got on her pads from sharp bits of ice went unheeded as she fought the wind. Was there anywhere she could go? Anywhere safe? Anywhere to escape the shame and blame? The whinnies from Hans's horse spurred Elsa's fear and desire to escape.

"Elsa, it's no use! You have nowhere to run!" Hans called.

If it weren't for her sharp wolf ears, she might've lost his voice amid the howling wind. She stopped in her tracks, her head turning this way and that with frantic desperation, but even she could not see anything through the snowstorm she had created.

With the icy wind obscuring and isolating the two, Hans allowed a dark grin to cross his face as he dismounted from Sitron. "This is perfect. You've become the monster, and when I slay you I will be a hero. I will be the one who saves Arendelle from the queen that became a wolf and started the winter. I'll save the kingdom and marry into the throne. That is, if that foolish princess is still alive by then."

Elsa couldn't believe what she just heard. And yet, it all made sense why he had been acting this way up until now. She snarled at this revelation. "Why you-!"

"It's futile to resist," Hans insisted with solemnity. "It's futile to do _anything_. You can't lift this cursed winter, and you can't even lift the wolf curse from yourself. What makes you think you can do anything to save Anna? The storm only grows worse, you are still a wolf, and Anna is most likely dead by now."

Elsa wanted to deny everything he just said, but reality swept through and froze her body like the most chilling wind. 'He...he's right...' Like cold snow on fire, guilt and despair smothered any flicker of hope left in her heart. The likelihood of Anna surviving a frozen heart was very low. The eldest troll had said so himself. It was just her now...a wolf unfit to lead her own kingdom. She couldn't even rule over herself, her own powers. She failed as a queen, and she failed as a sister. At this rate, only death seemed to be the only solution.

Hans unsheathed his sword, feigning sympathy for the queen trapped in wolf form. "I'll make this quick. I'll put an end to your suffering."

Elsa bowed her head and curled her tail close to her paws. She made no move to flee or defend herself. 'I've lost everything. My parents, my kingdom, my little sister, and myself. I deserve to die.' Elsa slowly closed her eyes and her breath stilled. 'I'll get to be with the rest of my family soon. Mama, Papa, Anna...we can be together. At long last.'

Anna prayed that they weren't too late. She was relieved to see that Sitron had stopped, but her heart lurched with confusion and terror when she saw that the horse didn't have his rider with him. She shivered and peered through the ever growing snowy torrent. A few feet away she saw Hans approaching the white wolf. She gasped at what she saw in the prince's hand. A sword.

Somehow, deep down in her heart, she knew. The wolf was none other than her only sister Elsa. There was something human in those blue eyes, the same sorrow and heartbreak she saw many years ago when she and Elsa were children. Anna never really stopped and thought much; she always went with and trusted her heart. She did not hesitate. Casting aside regard for her own life, and out of selfless love for her sister, Anna threw herself in the way of Hans's raised sword. The blade closed down on her just as her arm crystallized into ice. The impact sent Hans flying backwards, knocking him unconscious on the frozen lake.

Elsa saw it all. A heartbroken howl tore from her throat, wrenched from her very soul. The snowstorm suddenly stilled, and snowflakes hung in the air like frozen fireflies. She didn't even care that she had just turned back into a human. She rose on trembling legs and laid her palm on Anna's frozen cheek. Her worst fear had come true. Her only family left was dead, and it was all her fault. She didn't notice Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf as they slowly approached with expressions of grief and shock.

'I promised myself I would never cry.' Tears running down her face betrayed her thoughts, and Elsa broke her own promise as she mourned for her sister. She felt truly alone. 'I'd rather be stuck being a wolf for the rest of my life if it meant keeping Anna alive.'

Elsa's eyes widened when she felt warmth underneath her palm. Was she imagining things? Elsa stepped back and gaped as color and warmth gradually returned to Anna's frozen body like the coming of spring after winter. Suddenly Anna blinked and sucked in a gasp of shock as she lowered her outstretched arm and took a step back. Sheer joy quickly overcame Elsa's bewilderment as, for the first time in years, she pulled her little sister into a tight hug.

"Anna, you're alive!"

"And you've changed back!"

It was then that Elsa looked down at herself and fully realized what had happened. "Y-yeah, I guess I did."

Anna beamed. "I knew it was you."

"Really?"

"Of course. I wouldn't throw myself in harm's way for just any wolf, you know. I don't care if you had turned into the ugliest animal on earth. I'd still lay down my life for my only big sister."

That moved Elsa to tears. Honestly, she hadn't cried this much since the first day she and Anna had to live apart in the castle. Kristoff ruffled Sven's shaggy coat and had the biggest grin on his face while Olaf jumped up and down with unbridled euphoria.

"The trolls were right!" he exclaimed. "An act of true love can thaw a frozen heart."

The two sisters exchanged a surprised look upon hearing this.

"True love...and it didn't have to be a man's kiss," Anna murmured. She placed a hand on her chest. "It was the love from here. The love I have for you, Elsa...that's what saved me from a frozen heart."

Elsa nodded in understanding. "The love I felt for you was what saved me from being trapped in my wolf form, then. For many years, much longer than I would have liked, I let my fear cripple and paralyze me. Now I've finally been set free. Love was the right answer all along."

A light kindled in Anna's eyes. "If love saved us, then love can save Arendelle."

A wide grin spread across Elsa's face. "Perhaps you're right." With a simple lift of her hands, the ice and snow that had seized her kingdom in its cold, unmoving grip submitted to its maker's will. Everyone looked up in wonder as Arendelle thawed and returned to life before their eyes. The ice gathered into a giant snowflake in the sky, and Elsa dispelled it with another wave of her hands. Anna put her hand on her shoulder, and this time Elsa didn't pull away.

"You did it," Anna murmured.

"No, we did it. I couldn't have done this without you, Anna."

Olaf melted into a puddle as the sisters hugged again. But when Elsa pulled back from Anna, she realized with alarm that Olaf wasn't just melting from sentiment. He was melting for real.

"Oh, sorry about that, little guy." Elsa whipped up a tiny flurry for Olaf to stay cool and happy. She laid her eyes on the castle, brimming with happiness and joy. Everything seemed right again. Except...

Elsa gasped as she remembered. She put a hand on Anna's shoulder before taking off past the castle gates. "I'm sorry, Anna, I'll be back soon. There's someone I have to see."

Anna turned when she heard Hans stir and groan nearby. "Don't worry," she called back to Elsa's dwindling figure. "We have someone to take care of, too."

As the scheming prince staggered to his feet, his bruised face fell in dismay as he faced a very unhappy Anna, and Kristoff making a point of cracking his knuckles.

Elsa dashed into the village, ignoring shouts of surprise and joy from the villagers. She didn't have much to go on, only a vague comment from Hans that he had dealt with "troublesome animals" along the way.

The wolves laid sprawled on the cobblestone, bloodied and beaten by dogs' teeth and sword blades alike. In her frantic rush to reach her friends, Elsa shouldered aside the guards who huddled around and had come to retrieve their dogs. Startled, they parted the way for their queen. Elsa fell to her knees and gently pulled Lars's head to rest on her lap.

"Lars! Lars, no..." she whispered.

Was he alive, or dead? If it was the latter, it was because of her and she'd never forgive herself. Her heart soared when she felt him stir. She had thought that he perished, but immense relief upon being proved wrong filled her entire body. A soft growl rumbled in his throat as he met her distraught gaze with clouded amber eyes.

With one hand she stroked his fur. "It's me..."

The confusion in his eyes slowly dissipated as the alpha wolf began to make the connection. He weakly pushed his muzzle against the palm of her hand and let it rest there. Elsa didn't care if she attracted a big scene.

"Your majesty, what's going on?" A guard asked.

Elsa finally looked up from Lars's prone form, her reply even and measured. "These wolves are my friends, and you attacked them. However, I don't blame you for that since there was no way any of you might've known. Have an animal doctor see to these wolves at once. Until they fully recover and can return to the wild, they will be under my care."

The guard took all this in with an awed expression, then turned to his comrades and did as his queen bidded him. Several guards had to usher the crowd back while others scrambled to pick up the wounded wolves as gently as they could. Elsa stroked Lars's fur one last time before the guards moved him.

Hans was swiftly deemed guilty and charged for plotting to usurp the throne and murder members of Arendele royalty. He and the Duke of Weselton were promptly sent back to their homelands, but not without Elsa sincerely apologizing to the latter for her accidental actions against his bodyguards. The issue was later resolved and dismissed on the grounds of the queen acting out of self-defense against men ordered to kill her. Her subjects and the villagers had been duly informed of her unusual abilities, and they took it surprisingly well. The animal doctors in particular grew used to Elsa coming in as a wolf to check up on her friends every once in a while.

On the day the doctors told Elsa the wolves were fit enough to leave, she harbored mixed feelings. Of course she was sad to see them go, but she wouldn't have it any other way, because where else could a wolf run free and feel at home than in the wild?

She could see in Lars's eyes that he too bore conflicted feelings within him. He brushed his muzzle against hers as he said softly, "I know your place is here, as the alpha human female. You will probably have to mate a human male as well."

"I'm in no rush for that," she replied. She was touched by the sadness in his voice. "To be honest, I'm still not sure about you and me in a relationship. I still haven't even found out the origins of my powers yet."

"Fair enough. I understand if you're uncomfortable. But...Elsa, I want you to know that even though you feel more human at heart, that doesn't change what I feel about you."

An oddly warm feeling soared from her chest and down to her paws and tail upon hearing that. She shyly pulled back her ears and met his equally sheepish gaze. "Thank you, Lars."

He reached forward to touch his muzzle to her face one last time, then pulled back and said, "If you ever need us, you can always find us near the North Mountain, in the sanctuary you have graciously given us."

"Come catch some deer with us, if you want," Egil said.

Elsa laughed. "No thanks, I think I'll pass. Maybe I can help you take some down, but I'll skip out on eating them."

Knut tilted his head and winced at the movement from a bite wound that still smarted. "What's wrong with eating them? You don't like the taste of deer?"

"I have to be honest...I don't like it at all!"

Elsa laughed again when she saw the wolves' expressions of utter shock and disbelief.

"Well, if you ever just want to send time with us and leave behind your boring human life for a bit, feel free to join us," Tor said. "You gave us the land, after all."

Elsa smiled at that. One of her very first acts as the new queen was outlawing the trapping and killing of wolves in the lands surrounding Arendelle. The pack would be forever grateful for that. Excitement thrilled through her just thinking of running with the pack whenever she needed a break from the duties human life demanded from her. One day she might even bring along Anna to connect with the wolves.

It was ironic to now think of her wolf form as the image of freedom, when she had spent the past few days thinking it was a prison. That was something she treasured besides her love for Anna, and possibly Lars. Freedom.

**~FIN~**

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><p><strong>Thank you very much for reading.<strong>


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